Changing Fate
by Warrior Angel 24
Summary: AU Alex is not a prosecutor anymore, so her and Olivia never met. But Fate always finds a way!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** The characters of Law & Order: SVU belong to Dick Wolf. No infringement intended.

**Author's Notes:** Thank you to willowezra, creativestreet, hazecop15 for answering my beta plea. You guys rock!

**Hope you enjoy it!**

Part 1

"Angie, hurry up sweetie or we're gonna be late." Alex called from her living room. Rushing her four-year-old was one of the most challenging parts of motherhood.

"So, where was I?"

Alex turned to see her best friend posing nonchalantly on her couch.

"Serena, I don't know how many times I've heard you say that you finally found the love of your life." Alex sipped calmly from her tea. "What makes this enchanted princess so special this time?"

"You know Alex, I don't appreciate the sarcasm," Serena narrowed her eyes threateningly. "Besides this time I'm serious. I've met the most fantastic, beautiful, intelligent and funny woman in the whole world." She ignored the look of discredit that Alex gave her. "And I want you to meet her this weekend."

Alex shook her head while depositing her cup on the coffee table. "Can't do it. Robert will be out of town this weekend. I need to stay with Angie."

"Call your mom." Serena suggested matter-of-factly. "She loves spending time with her granddaughter. Besides with Mr. pain-in-the-ass out of town it will be easier to sneak you into the newest and hottest girl bar in NY."

"I don't go to girl bars anymore. I'm a wife and a mother now." Alex stated firmly.

"You're boring now, that's what you are." Serena sighed exasperatedly. "Come on Lex, Casey told me that she has this single friend that she will bring a long. She said she used to be an ADA here before getting transferred to DC."

"One more reason for me not to come; I probably know her from my old days in the DA's office."

"Alexandra Cabot, would you quit the whining. It doesn't suit you."

"Excuse me?" Alex narrowed her eyes.

"You heard me." Serena sat straight never taking her eyes of Alex who got out of the arm chair. "The Alex Cabot I remember would never let her fears overcome her."

"It's not fear Serena." Alex crossed her arms bracing herself against her friend's accusations. "I'm just saying that I'm married now. I can't just drop everything and run to a girl bar to pick up women with you. I have responsibilities."

"Exactly!" Serena shot from the couch and stood next to Alex. "Your marriage is all about responsibility and not love. You only married Robert because of a stupid promise you made to your dying father."

"It's not a stupid promise—"

"Yes it was. You gave up your whole life to fulfill his dreams." Serena pointed out. "This," Opening her arms she gestured to the classic furniture that decorated the wealthy penthouse. "This is not who you are." She pointed to the million dollars of art on the walls. "This is the life of a princess your father designed for you."

"Serena, I don't—"

"Mommy, mommy how do I look?"

Alex knelt to place her at eye level with a carbon copy of herself and smiled motherningly at her little girl. "You look like the most beautiful snow white in the entire word."

"Aunt Serena, are you coming to the play with us?" Angie looked expectantly to the other grownup blonde.

"Of course I am." Serena nodded enthusiastically. "I would never miss my favorite niece's school play."

"I'm your only niece." Angie giggled at her aunt's antics.

"And that's why you're my favorite. Now come on," Serena winked at her before scooping her up. "Hey, how did you like to spend the whole weekend with Grandma Cabot?"

"Serena," Alex cautioned.

"Alex, I'm not taking no for an answer. We're going out this weekend." She offered over her shoulder. "I have a good feeling about this."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Alex shook her head following the other two blonds to the car.

ADA Casey Novak sat behind her desk rubbing her temples in a desperate attempt to avoid the upcoming headache.

"Look, I'd love to help you but I can't get a warrant based solely on your gut feelings." Casey sighed heavily. She knew she could trust her detectives' instincts, but she also knew that no judge would sign a warrant with so little evidence. "Give me something, anything solid and I'll get a judge to sign it, I promise."

Both detectives shook their heads in exasperation. They had little time before their witness freaked out and sent the case down the drain. They needed the warrant.

"Whatever counselor." Elliot shoved his chair back rather hard causing the back legs to slam into the floor and stormed out of the room without waiting for his partner.

Detective Olivia Benson took a long calming breath while running a nervous hand through her hair. After a few seconds, she nodded silently and stood up to follow her partner.

"Hey Liv," Casey called in a much softer tone.

"Yeah?"

"Are you busy tomorrow night?"

Olivia lifted a curious eyebrow. "I don't know. I may have to check my agenda," she smirked when Casey rolled her eyes knowingly at her. "Why do you ask, something interesting?"

"Maybe." Casey grinned sheepishly. "I'd promised Serena I would fix up her friend for a double date with us. Abbie told me she'd go, but little Miss Texas changed plans on me," She sighed. "Something about a fine piece of ass and a pair of chaps."

Olivia blushed and rolled her eyes.

"So, you want to set me up with your girlfriend's friend?" Olivia asked with a sly grin on her face as Casey nodded.

Olivia leaned forward at the waist with her arms crossed and whispered "Not a chance." as she shook her head.

"Come on Liv, what've you got to lose?"

"My Saturday night for starters."

"Oh please, so you miss another meal at home and an episode of The Overworked and Brooding?"

Olivia's jaw dropped at her friend's low blow. "Should I be offended by the comment?"

"Nope," Casey shook her head as she walked to the mini bar and grabbed a bottle of water. "It's a win-win situation. Because I'm sure that Serena will be drunk by 9 o'clock and I'm sure you'll be entertained. Plus, your kindness may be recalled when asking for matters of legal issues in the future. What do you say?"

Olivia pretended to think for a minute. "Will you get me my warrant?"

"Sure, as soon as you get me something substantial to ground it."

Olivia turned around closing the door behind her. "So where are you going tomorrow night?"

"Is that a 'yes'?" Casey asked with excitement. She slouched back in her chair when no answer came from the shut the door.

"Great." she muttered to herself.

TBC…

**Please, don't forget to feed the bard.**


	2. Chapter 2

Hello people,

Thank you for all the feedback, I loved them. Keep doing it!

Enjoy,

WA

Part 2

Serena and Alex walked into an upscale building over which a stylish sign flashed the name "Galz" and sauntered down a dark staircase into the bar. At the bottom of the stairs there was a dimly lit cellar where big comfortable couches decorated the left side while metal stools lined the wall on the right leading the way to a dance floor. The place was completely easygoing, filled with good music and beautiful people chatting animatedly.

"I can't believe I let you convince me to come along." Alex complained as they sat back onto one of the bar stools.

"I'm very persuasive." Serena winked teasingly at her setting their drinks on the table.

"You bribed my daughter into going to her grandma's house." Alex shook her index finger in her friend's direction. "You should be ashamed."

"Relax Lex, I've told you I have a good feeling about tonight." Serena smiled devilishly when she felt soft arms sneak around her waist.

"Hey." Casey whispered seductively in her ear.

Turning around, Serena lightly pecked her girlfriend on the lips. "Hi gorgeous,"

"Sorry I'm late."

"That's ok," Serena shrugged dismissively. "How was your lunch date?"

"Humpf, you call it a date, and I call it a business sacrifice gesture." She rolled her eyes dramatically before addressing the other woman. "Anyway, you must be Alex."

"Yes, Alex Cabot," Alex offered her hand politely. "Nice to meet you."

Casey shook her hand. "Casey Novak, the pleasure is mine. Serena talks very highly of you."

"Oh, please. Don't believe everything she says." Alex joked.

"Ha-ha." Serena stuck her tongue out and turned around as if looking for someone. "Weren't you supposed to bring someone along?"

"Yeah, about that, my friend sends her apologies." Casey smiled sheepishly. "She won't be able to make it here tonight. She had some emergency in DC."

"Seriously?" Serena couldn't hide her disappointment.

Casey sighed. "That's what she said, but knowing her it's probably some sort of Texan rendezvous."

"A Texan rendezvous?" Alex lifted an intrigued eyebrow. When Casey nodded, she couldn't contain a heartfelt laugh that escaped her throat. "Oh my God, you can only be talking about Carmichael."

"Do you know Abby?" Casey's brow furrowed in surprise.

"Yes I do." Alex nodded watching the surprised look take over the redhead's face. "I know her from my old days with the DA's office."

"Are you a prosecutor?"

"She used to be." Serena piped in. "Alex quit her carrier in order to become a housewife."

"Really?" Casey asked genuinely curious.

"Not exactly," Alex shot a threatening look at her friend. "I quit my job right after my father passed way. I only got married about a year later."

"Potatoes, potato's." Serena smiled while sipping from her drink.

Casey blinked confused. "But, are you married or not?"

"Yes. Yes I am."

"But I thought—" Casey was interrupted by a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Hey Casey."

Turning around the redhead was shocked to be face to face with her detective friend. "Olivia! You came."

"Of course I came, you promised me free beer." Olivia replied cheerfully. "Hi, I'm Olivia."

"Oh, I'm sorry. This is detective Olivia Benson." Casey tried to recover as fast as she could. "Olivia, this is Serena and her friend Alex."

"Nice to meet you." Both blondes offered at the same time.

"Nice to meet you too." Olivia smiled noncommittally, but couldn't take her eyes off the blonde beauty sitting next to Casey's girlfriend.

"Ok, I'm thirsty." Casey announced and started pushing Olivia towards the bar. "Come on Liv, let's get something to drink."

Olivia nodded and looked at their companions. "Can we get you anything? Casey is buying."

Serena laughed but shook her head. "No, we're good thank you." She lifted her glass for showing.

As soon as they were out of the other women earshot, Olivia leaned into Casey.

"Wow, you weren't kidding when you mentioned that Serena has beautiful friends." She looked across the bar and saw two pairs of blue eyes watching them attentively. Serena was beautiful, but Alex's blonde hair and finely sculpted feature gave her an intellectual elegance that was enhanced by her black-rimmed glasses. "That woman is gorgeous."

"Gorgeous and married." Casey deadpanned.

"What?" Olivia's head snapped back so fast that she almost sprained her neck.

"You heard me." Casey pursed her lips apologetically. "Apparently, Serena neglected to inform me of this little detail."

"Damn it." Olivia looked back at Alex in time to see her averting her eyes shyly. "Thanks for the heads up, Casey."

"Oh my god, you were fired for being gay?" The four women sat and chatted animatedly.

"Well, they weren't so explicit about the reasons but, Branch made it pretty clear." Serena explained why she no longer worked for the DA's office.

"Can't you sue them or something?" Olivia asked feeling a little overwhelmed by her thirst for justice.

"It's not worth it." Serena shrugged. "Besides I'm making twice the money with private practice." She wiggled her brows causing a fit of giggles.

"What about you Alex," Casey interjected. "Which unit were you working with before you quit?"

"Actually I was in between units." Alex explained. "I was about to be transferred to Special Victims."

"SVU?" Casey and Olivia shared a curious look. "That's one hell of a coincidence."

"Why?" Alex looked confused.

"Well, firstly, Olivia is a senior detective on Special Victims which means you two would've met back then."

"Really?" Alex looked up and stared into Olivia's dark eyes.

"Yeah, I've been with the unit for eleven years." Olivia replied without breaking eye contact.

"And I think I got your job." Casey offered simply.

Alex turned to look at the redhead. "You prosecute for SVU?"

"Yes ma'am." Casey smiled.

"Wow, I'm jealous." The comment left Alex's mouth before she could stop it. She tried to fight off the blush that was threatening to envelope her face only to have it duplicate when Serena leaned closed and whispered in her ear.

"Behold what you've missed." She nodded at Olivia who seemed to be engrossed in a conversation with Casey.

"Serena," Alex cautioned but Serena ignored her and turned to her girlfriend.

"Hey, baby, I believe they're playing our song." She stood up and took Casey by the hand leading her to the dance floor.

Silence fell between Alex and Olivia as they sat quietly sipping their own beer for a few minutes. Looking up at the same time, they stared at each other for a while, each waiting for the other to make the next move. Finally, Olivia couldn't stand the silence anymore.

"Hey,"

"Hi," Alex smiled gently.

"Awkward?" Olivia teased.

"A little." Alex chuckled.

"No need." Olivia sipped her beer nonchalantly. "Casey told me you're married." Alex looked down visibly uncomfortable and Olivia decided to lighten up the mood. "Besides, with the size of that rock on your finger, I believe this ring can be seen from Mars." Alex smiled timidly and checked her 3 ½ carat diamond ring. "So, what's your story Alex Cabot?" Olivia probed fishing a pretzel from the bowl.

"My story?" Alex grimaced as a sad look crossed her face.

Olivia noticed the look but decided to file it for future reference. "Yeah, I mean, I know that you used to be a prosecutor and that you're a married woman now, but, what I'm curious about is what happened in between." Olivia flirted.

Alex contemplated the question and the woman across the table from her. There was a magnetic pull about Olivia that made her effortlessly beautiful. Maybe it was the strong cheek bones or perhaps it was the blending of chocolate eyes and olive skin. But something about her made Alex's heartbeat increase. "Is that your technique for questioning detective?" Alex flirted back.

"Is that a lawyer thing, answering a question with a question?" Olivia lifted a challenging eyebrow and was rewarded with a genuine smile.

"Touché."

"What's up with the two of you?" Serena inquired resuming her former sit. "No dancing?"

"Actually, it's getting late and I should be going." Alex offered ruefully.

"Oh come on Lex, the night's still young."

"Not for me, Serena." Alex looked knowingly at her friend. "But you don't have to leave. I'll be fine taking a cab."

"Nan-an." Serena protested. "You came with me and I'm not letting you leave alone."

"I'll take her." Olivia blurted surprising everyone including herself. "What? She'll be safe with me," she shrugged and moved the side of her jacket. "I have a gun." She joked at Alex who still looked a little uncertain. "Plus, we can let Serena enjoy the rest of the night with Casey; after all I do need a happy ADA." She winked conspiratorially at her friend.

"Olivia, there's no need to bother, you—"

"It's no bother," Olivia waved a dismissive hand. "Besides it's getting late for me too."

Olivia stood up and offered her arm gallantly. "So, shall we?"

Alex nodded and felt a blush begin to color the base of her neck as she enlaced her arm with Olivia's.

From across the table Serena couldn't help but grin as she watched the women leaving the bar together. "Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a matchmaker." She sang merrily.

Casey laughed. "You are a troublemaker, that's what you are."

TBC…

**Don't forget to feed the bard.**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Thank you guys for all the feedback, I love them.**_

_**Enjoy,**_

_**WA**_

Part 3

Alex woke up to the sound of her cell phone ringing. She reached over to the nightstand, grabbed it and flipped it open without looking at the screen.

"Hello?" She answered, her voice hoarse from sleep.

"Oh damn it, did I just wake Olivia up?" Despite her drowsy mind, Alex could clearly hear the teasing in her friend's voice.

Shaking her head to kick-start her brain, Alex replied. "Serena, get your mind out of the gutter."

"Come on Lex, throw me a bone here."

"Sorry to disappoint but," Alex tried unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn. "She was a perfect gentleman."

"So, let me guess, nothing happened?" Alex chuckled when her friend sounded genuinely disappointed.

"Serena, nothing can happen. I'm married." Alex stretched her arms above her head and yawned again.

"Alex—"

"Don't start." Alex cut her short.

"Fine," Serena sighed exasperatedly. "But tell me you at least got her phone number."

Alex shook her head a little annoyed at her friend's insistence but a small smile reached her lips when her mind drifted back to the gorgeous, brown-eyed detective. "She gave me her card."

"Good. When are you going to call her?"

"I won't." Alex stated firmly, her voice leaving no space for discussion.

"You know Alex, sometimes I really want to smack you on the back of the head."

"Serena, I'm married. Get it through that thick head of yours."

"Alex, your marriage is a sham." Serena raised her voice and then released a calming breath. "Call her, Alex. I'm sure you won't regret it."

"I can't call her. It wouldn't be fair to Olivia if I encourage something that can never be." Alex squeezed her eyes shut and let out a long breath as the truth behind those words made her sick on her stomach.

"Unfair to her and very tempting to you," Serena insisted. "I saw the way you were looking at her."

"Of course I looked, she's very beautiful." Alex shot defensively.

"I'm beautiful, that woman is smoking hot."

Alex sighed. "What about my daughter, Serena? Are you thinking of her in this?"

Serena was quiet for awhile before adding. "Don't be so dense, Lex. What's wrong in making new friends?"

Alex closed her eyes again, this time she felt the stingy of tears forming behind her closed lids. "I can't toy with people's feelings."

"Who said anything about toying with anyone's feelings? I'm just saying that you two can become friends," Serena pushed again sensing a crack on her friend's defensive walls. "Besides, I'm sure Olivia is a big girl who knows how to take care of herself."

"I don't know." Alex shook her head in attempt to clear her thoughts.

"You want to see her again, don't you?"

"Yeah, but—"

"No buts. Call her and let me know how it went." Serena hung up bluntly without waiting for a response.

Alex stared mutely at her cell phone for a few seconds and slowly, felt a small smile come to corner of her lips. Turning to the side, Alex reached for the nightstand and opened the drawer retrieving the card Olivia had given her the night before.

'_In case you're ever in trouble.'_ Olivia had said before applying a gallant kiss on her hand.

Alex grinned. "There's nothing wrong in making new friends."

Before she lost her nerve, Alex dialed the number on the card and waited. The reply came right after the second ring.

"Benson."

Alex cleared her throat before speaking. "Hi Olivia, it's Alex."

"Hey, I was thinking about you."

The unexpected admission made Alex's stomach do a little flutter. "You were?"

"Yeah, I had a good time last night."

Alex felt a flush move up her neck and her palms started sweating. "So did I," clearing her throat she continued. "Anyway, I wanted to thank you for accompanying me home last night. It was very nice of you."

"You don't need to thank me Alex. You're very pleasant company."

Alex bit her bottom lip to prevent the grin from enveloping her whole face. Alex wished that Olivia's voice didn't affect her so much, but the truth was that Olivia's gentleness made her insides go mushy. "I…I wanted to…uh…" As Alex's brain seemed to have short-circuited for a minute, she decided to go with her heart. "Can I buy you breakfast?"

"When?" Alex could hear a smile in Olivia's voice and decided that she definitely wanted to see that in person, even if it was just for one last time.

"Today." Alex shot rather eagerly. "I mean…I…uh, I just woke up and I was wondering—"

"I'd love to."

The warm spring morning turned breakfast into a picnic in Central park. A blanket was spread in the grass as both ladies lay on their sides, facing each other and enjoying their meal.

"So let me get this straight, you married Robert for the money?" Olivia's face reflected her shock.

"Don't make it sound so cheap." Alex shot defensively.

"Sorry Alex, I didn't mean to—"

"It wasn't for the money." Alex interrupted her apologies. "My father was always an old fashioned man. He ran the family business very tightly and never allowed me or my mother access to anything involving it." Alex sat up Indian style and stared at the cup in her hands. "It was only after his heart attack that I realized how deeply sunk in debts we were. During the time he spent in the hospital I took hold of the family finances and the situation was awful."

"Why?" Olivia asked softly.

"Bad business choices, expensive lifestyle, parties, women, you name it. It was as if he had a secret life where he was someone me or my mother never met." Alex shook her head. "He wasted the family fortune."

"What did you do?"

"I gathered lawyers and we created an emergency plan to try and save the situation. We made an immediate decision to sell most of the proprieties and the family jet. It was enough to cover for the hole in the company budget, but it wasn't enough to pay for the hospital bills." Alex looked up to the sky as if drawing strength from the Heavens. "That's when Robert stepped in."

"You knew each other for a long time?"

"Yeah, since we were kids." Alex pitched her noise to fight the growing headache that was threatening to become a migraine crisis. "We dated for a while in high school, but we broke up after I got into college."

"Why did you break up?"

"I realized I liked girls better than I liked him." Alex offered sheepishly.

Olivia chuckled and shook her head. "How did you ended up marrying him then?"

"Fifteen days in an ICU is really expensive and we couldn't afford it. One day, Robert and his father went to visit my dad and offered to pay for his treatment."

Olivia's head jerked up in response. "Your father sold you?"

"Not exactly." Alex scoffed bitterly. "During their conversation, Robert's father mentioned how sorry he was that my relationship with Robert didn't work out, especially because his son still cared very deeply about me." Alex chuckled humorlessly. "So, my father promised to open my eyes and make me see what a great catch Robert was."

"Alex I—"

"I was so disgusted that I left the hospital and puked on the curb across the street." Disturbed by the memories, Alex felt like vomiting again.

"He had no right—"

"No he didn't." Alex interrupted her again. "He didn't have the right, but he pushed all the family's responsibilities on my shoulder. It was an emotional blackmail. He said I couldn't leave my mother unattended after he passed away and that life was made of sacrifices and bla bla bla." Alex sighed exhausted. "Finally I gave in. Robert and I got married about two months before my father passed away."

"Why are you still with him since your father is dead?"

"I signed a prenup." Alex shrugged and rubbed her forehead as if attempting to clear her thoughts. "If I ever file for divorce or get caught cheating, I lose everything."

"You mean you'll be penniless?"

"Pretty much, but that's not what worries me." Alex exhaled a deep long breath. "Money is not the problem anymore."

"Then what is it?"

Alex took in a ragged breath. "My daughter, Olivia. If I break up my marriage, I'll lose my daughter." Alex locked her eyes with Olivia's chocolate gaze. "I can't lose her. I won't lose her." She stated firmly

Olivia nodded but remained silent. For several minutes she just watched Alex struggle with her emotions. The blonde woman looked fragile on the outside, but after everything she'd heard, Olivia knew that on the inside, the woman was fighter.

Hesitating a little, Olivia tried to think of the right thing to say."It seemed a pretty one sided prenup to me. Did you get something good out of it?"

Alex looked up and held Olivia's gaze for a moment before smiling mischievously. "I got to keep my last name."

Olivia's laugh was so contagious that soon they were both giggling as they lay on their backs. Their laughing finally subsided and Alex's blue eyes held and kept Olivia dark gaze again.

"Thank you. I needed that." Alex whispered.

"You're welcome." Olivia reached over and touched Alex's hand. "You should smile more often Alex, it enhances your beauty."

Alex shied away feeling the beginning of a flush warming her ears and her heart.

TBC…

_**Don't forget to feed the bard**__**…**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Hi there,**_

_**Sorry it took me a while to update this, but things got hectic…anyway, here it is and I hope you like it.**_

_**BTW, this hasn't been beta-d so forgive the mistakes.**_

_**Enjoy,**_

_**WA**_

Part 4

Casey watched through the one-way mirror as Munch and Fin grilled the suspect sitting in the interrogation room.

"We got the warrant to search your apartment." Munch crossed his arms and smirked victoriously.

The suspect didn't react, but a bead of sweat on his forehead betrayed his apparently calm. "You won't find anything."

Walking to the table, Fin leaned on it and got on the man's personal space. "Let me tell you something, you lied to the police and wasted our damn time," Fin narrowed his gaze, his nose almost touching the suspect's. "And now we have a witness placing you on the crime scene of the rape and murder of two little girls." The suspect mouth opened and closed in an audible gulp. "Now you have two choices: One, stop wasting our time and admit you did it or two, we tear your apartment down until we find at least one drop of blood that will get the needle on your arm so fast that you won't know what hit you."

Suddenly, the once emotionless man had the fear of God on his face and looked as though he was about to pee on his pants. "I didn't mean to kill anybody."

Casey knocked on the glass and pulled the detectives out of the room. "Arrest him." she stated firmly. "And advise him to lawyer up."

"But we can get a full confession." Munch protested.

"We don't need it. I've already got what I need." She took another look at the one-way window and walked away.

"You're the boss." Munch muttered moving back into the room.

"At least someone acknowledges that." Walking past Elliot's desk, Casey noticed the detective hitting the keyboard a little harder than necessary. Lifting an intrigued eyebrow, she moved over, and joined Olivia at the coffee pot.

"What's up with your partner?"

Olivia smiled while stirring her coffee. "Suspect took a lucky swing at him." She shrugged and poured some coffee into Casey's mug. "I guess his pride is hurt."

"Thanks." Casey accepted the cup and sipped the hot liquid. "Did you book the guy?"

"Girl." Olivia correct with a smirk.

Casey's eyes widened. "He was punched by a girl?" Olivia nodded as her smirk turned into a full teasing grin. "Wow, no wonder he's grumpy."

Taking another sip from her drink, Casey grimaced as the bitter liquid went down her throat leaving a nasty taste on her mouth. Turning back to the table she poured some sugar in it and stirred. Her movements became mechanically as she watched Olivia through the corner of her eyes.

Turning her head to the side, Olivia caught the pensive look on the redhead's face and raised a curious eyebrow. "What?"

Casey started to shake her head dismissively, but changed her mind. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"How's Alex?"

"Dunno," Olivia shrugged noncommittally. "I haven't talked to her in a while."

"Oh," Casey was trying to sound casual, but failing miserably. "Does it mean that you're not seeing each other?"

Olivia, again, lifted an intrigued eyebrow. "Did Serena put you up to this?"

"Yeah, she threatened me with the no-sex card." Casey sighed defeated. "So, tell me, did anything happen between you two?"

"No." Olivia gave a firm headshake.

"Why?"

"Because she's married," Olivia said as a matter of fact, but one glance at Casey's questioning gaze and she knew she would have to elaborate. "I chickened out." Olivia dropped her eyes and hesitated. "When she called me the day after we met and invited me for breakfast, I thought about sleeping with her."

"What changed?"

Olivia shrugged. "After we talked and I got to know her a little better, I figured she could never be just a one nightstand." She offered lowering her gaze despondently. When Casey didn't comment, Olivia looked up to meet her gaze but instead, she caught sight of Elliot snatching his jacket from the back of the chair and locking eyes with her.

"Liv, we got a case." He said walking toward the elevators. "We have to go."

Putting her mug down, Olivia started to leave, but turned back to Casey as if adding an afterthought. "Besides getting involved with a married woman is a winner recipe to have your heart broken." With that, she gave Casey a 'see you later' look before grabbing her own jacket and following Elliot inside the elevator.

"I can't say I disagree with you Liv." Casey whispered to no one in particular. Reaching inside her briefcase, she retrieved her cell phone, and pressed speed dial two. After a few rings she started. "Hey, it's me…Fine…I just talked to Olivia and no, they're not sleeping together… just because…" she shrugged and listened a little more. Releasing a long breath she interrupted Serena's monologue. "You know what baby, maybe it's time for you to back off a little bit... Yeah, back off now and let fate do its job. If they are meant to be they will be."

**AOAOAOAO**

Later that day when Casey stepped back into the SVU squad room, she immediately felt something odd in air. Pushing the doors open, she found the room bursting with activity. A group of unfamiliar faces gathered around Captain Cragen talking at the same time, and shouting questions at him. Confused, she scanned the place again and saw that the four main detectives were not around. Determined to figure what was happening, she strode forward, at the same moment as Fin walked out of one of the interrogation rooms. Halting abruptly, she intercepted the detective.

"What's going on?"

"Benson and Stabler got a high profile case this morning." He explained. "Some kindergartens saw their teacher touching little Jimmy where no one is supposed to touch you and reported the guy."

"Kindergartens?"

"Yep."

"Wow…and who are all these people?" she mentioned to the fidgety group gathering around his boss.

"Parents." Fin said simply. "School notified what happened and they started showing up here demanding some explanation."

Casey brow's furrowed. "Where are the kids?"

"Benson has the witnesses in a room with Huang and a couple of social workers." At the alarmed look on the ADA's face he added quickly. "Everything by the book." Casey nodded relieved. "Stabler is with the victim and his parents in interrogation three."

"What about the suspect?"

Fin nodded to the room he'd just stepped out of. "I'm letting him sweat a little bit while Munch runs a background check on the guy."

"You mean the school hired him without one?"

"They checked, but there's something off about his papers, so we're checking more thoroughly."

"Good, let me see if Elliot needs some help." Casey walked away and Fin approached the captain to help him calm the agitated crowed.

"Alright, everybody shut up or I'll be forced to hold everyone in contempt." Cragen fired off gruffly. Taking his words seriously, the group went immediately silent. "Good, now let's have some order and I'll answer only one question at a time."

"How longer are we going to have to wait?" One of the men asked.

"Exactly, I have places to be." Said another angry parent.

"I want my daughter out of here." A woman added.

Taking a long calming breath, Cragen answered. "Your daughter, along with the other kids, is finishing their testimony." Raising his hand to stop another question to form, he continued. "As soon as we get all we need, they'll all be free to go. Now you're going to wait silently over there and one of my detectives will go and talk to you as soon as possible."

Realizing they had no other choice, the group resigned to their fate and moved to an isolated corner while Fin and the captain walked back toward the interrogation rooms. The moment they stepped out of the room, a new agitated parent rushed in. Looking around, the woman spied what she'd been looking for.

"Robert? What happened? Where's Angie?"

"Alex, where the hell have you been?" He said abruptly grabbing her by the elbow.

Snatching her arm from his gasp, she narrowed her eyes at him. "I've been helping your lovely mother decide between 'bondi blue' or 'denim' for her new drapes." She barked cynically. "Now, again, where's my daughter?"

As if on cue, squeals echoed around the room as three little people rocketed in. Apprehensive parents turned around in time to catch the flying children into their arms.

"Mommy." Alex knelt and hugged the small girl who wrapped her tiny arms around her neck.

"Hey baby, are you alright?"

"I'm great." She replied with a giant smile plastered on her face. "I helped the police catch the bad guy."

"You did?"

"She did." a sultry voice drew Alex's and everybody else's attention. "They all did."

"Detective 'Livia." Angie and her friends got loose from their parents hold and ran to Olivia. Laughing, she scooped Angie in her arms while the other two girls attached themselves to her legs.

"I'm detective Benson and as you probably know these three brave little girls jut helped us arrest an evil man who as hurting some of their classmates." She shared a knowing look with the parents. "As they were eyewitness to a felony, we needed to get their statement. Everything was done by the law and the testimony was taken in front of a FBI psychiatrist and two social workers." She explained. "We're now dotting the 'I's' and crossing all the 'T's' so we can bring a copy of deposition for you to read and sign. All I ask is a little bit more of patience and you will all be free to go."

"Is it going to take long?" Robert asked visibly annoyed.

Olivia lowered Angie to the floor and pinned him with a hard stare. "A couple of hours tops." She said softly, yet with firmness in her tone that marked the boundary. With a courtesy nod she turned around and swayed back into the captain's room.

Alex followed Olivia's swagger apparently unable to take her eyes off the brown-eyed detective.

"Two more hours?" Robert's voice snapped Alex back to reality. "Who the hell do these people think they are?" he complained arrogantly.

Taking a deep breath, Alex turned to face her husband. "Do you have somewhere else to be?"

"I have a meeting that I'm already late—"

"Then go." Alex hissed. "I'll stay here with my daughter until everything is cleared."

"What about the damn deposition they want us to read?"

"I'm a lawyer, remember? I can take care of that."

"Are you sure? Cause these people—"

"For God's sake Robert, just go."

The look on Alex's face warned him to swallow any further argument. Nodding silently, he fixed his tie and started to leave.

"Bye daddy." Angie hugged him and he left without another word.

"Now I see why Serena is so persistent." The gentle whisper so close to her ear caused goose bumps to crawl Alex's skin.

"He wasn't always so obnoxious." Alex offered turning to meet Olivia's eyes.

"I bet." Silence fell between them and, for a few moments they seemed in their own little world. "I'm sorry I didn't call." Olivia said softly breaking the moment.

"It's ok. I understand." Alex nodded despondently.

"You probably don't." Olivia smiled gently. "But I can't explain now. Can you wait a little longer?" Olivia braved. "I mean, I have to get rid of these people before captain has a stroke. Then I thought we could talk."

The two women stared at each other for a moment and Alex was unable to hide her grin. "Sure."

**AOAOAOAO**

Olivia started toward the stairs that led to the second level of the squad room. Walking up she saw Alex sitting on the soft couch that was situated there cradling a soundly sleeping Angie on her lap.

"Did she run out of energy?" Olivia asked in a soft voice.

"Thanks." Alex nodded, and took a juice box that Olivia handed her. "She had an exciting day." Adjusting the sleeping child, Alex spiked the straw into the box and sipped it. "Things seem calmer down there." She commented.

"They are, finally." Olivia sat on a coffee table facing the two blondes. Reaching out, she moved some hair out of Angie's face. "She's a very special little girl Alex." Olivia stared a little longer at the girl's angelic face and smiled. "What she did today was very brave."

"I know. I'm very proud of her." Alex kissed her daughter's head lovingly. "Just to think that the bastard has been molesting kids for months—"

"Years," Olivia corrected her.

"What?" Alex's head snapped up and Olivia nodded.

"We ran a background check on him. It turned out that the papers he gave the school were all fake. Son of a bitch has a rap sheet for sexual offenses in three different states."

"Oh my God."

Olivia let out a despondent sigh. "We are getting in touch with all the parents of every child he's molested."

"Bastard." Alex's cheeks flushed in anger.

"But we caught him now and Casey is going to make sure he won't go anywhere until Angie is old enough to be a grandmother." Olivia reassured her.

Alex drew her little girl closer to her and snuggled taking a deep breath of her daughter's baby sent. Feeling her heart swell with pride and love, she lifted her eyes to meet Olivia's. "She's in love with you."

"Huh?" Olivia asked with a hint of amusement in her voice.

"For the past three hours she's talked non-stopping about the amazing detective 'Livia who catches bad guys." Alex smiled at the woman sitting in front of her. "I think you just outranked Wonder-Woman on her favorite heroes list."

Olivia gave a quiet laugh and shook her head. "What can I say? I have a soft spot for blue-eyed blondes." Olivia offered boldly.

Locking their gaze, both women stared and let their eyes say what their mouths daren't.

Braving up, Alex reached out and touched the detective's hand. With no hesitation, Olivia held the hand and gently plucked at the fingers until they finally intertwined. As silence drone, both women got lost in each other's eyes appraising the warmth coming from the lingering touch.

"I should go." Alex couldn't hide the ache in her voice.

Feeling her heart pounding, Olivia nodded silently and moved to retrieve Angie from Alex's arms. Alex was so overwhelmed by Olivia's sweetness that she couldn't find her voice, instead she just smiled and handed the detective her sleeping child. Olivia easily lifted the girl up who immediately snuggled into her arms. Olivia carried Angie down the stairs and all the way to Alex's car.

Alex opened the backseat door and Olivia laid Angie down gently.

"Detective 'Livia," Angie mumbled when Olivia removed the tiny arms from around her neck. "Don't go."

"It's ok baby," Alex soothed. "You'll be seeing Olivia again."

"Promise?" Angie asked through half closed lids.

Looking up, Alex met Olivia's eyes and felt her stomach do a funny little flutter when Olivia smiled broadly. "Promise."

TBC…

_**Like it? Didn't like it? Feed the bard.**_

_**PS: Chapter 5 is on the way!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_Hey guys,_

_Loved all the feedback. Keep doing it._

_Big, very big thanks to __**pink_roses_and_ivy, **__you're the best!_

_Enjoy,_

_WA_

Part 5

Olivia Benson is the kind of woman who always keeps her promises, especially the ones made to four-year-olds. After the storm of the abusive kindergarten teacher had worn down, she'd found time to go and visit Angie as promised. The little girl was absolutely thrilled to spend time with her, and Olivia was quickly becoming her favorite adult in the world, and Alex made sure to tease her every opportunity she had. Since that day in the precinct, her relationship with Alex had grown exponentially. Over the past month, they'd spent hours talking about everything or nothing at all. Alex had surprised her with an eclectic taste in music and Olivia shamelessly confessed her soft spot for cheesy romantic films with happy endings. They were moving fast towards a level of intimacy that was bound to change their lives forever. Olivia had grown addicted to Alex's voice and it almost scared her of how easy it was to share things with the blond.

"Do you mind telling me why I'm here carrying all of your shopping bags?" Olivia asked, lifting the bags for emphasis.

"Because you put a spell on my daughter and now she wants a super-hero themed party." Alex turned and with a mock glare took two bags from Olivia to relieve her load.

Olivia rearranged the rest of the bags and frowned at Alex. "What's wrong with super-heroes?"

"I don't know squat about super-heroes." Alex challenged putting her hands on her hips. "I know about fairies and princesses, but I honestly can't tell the difference between X-Men and Justice League."

"At least you got the names right. Last time you were calling Wolverine a Justice man." Olivia joked and Alex snorted with a raised eyebrow. Sighing dramatically Olivia gave in. "Fine, what else do you need?"

Walking around the mall for a good couple of hours, they went through the big list that Alex had prepared, until Olivia refused to take another step.

"Ok woman. I'm not going anywhere until you feed me."

Alex turned and narrowed her eyes at the brunette detective. "Jesus, I swear you're worse than Angie sometimes." Alex shook her head but wasn't able to avoid giggling at Olivia's prize-winner pout. "See, I rest my case." She teased. "Come on big baby, let's eat."

They left the mall together and Alex drove them to a nice café nearby.

"What's good here?" Olivia asked perusing the menu.

"Turkey salad is to die for." Alex offered simply.

"I'd rather stay alive, thank you very much." Olivia teased with a smirk.

Alex glared at her over the menu and scoffed. "Then have the salmon, it's good enough to make you happy."

"Yummy." Olivia licked her lips causing Alex to laugh before calling the waiter and place their orders.

Their food didn't take long to arrive and they ate in a comfortable silence until Alex restarted the conversation. "So, is the case closed?"

Olivia looked up from her food and had to think a little as if trying to remember which case she was talking about.

The blank look on Olivia's face made Alex raise a perfectly shaped eyebrow in her direction. "Child-molesting teacher?"

"Oh, of course." The 'duh' expression Olivia produced was priceless and she flushed a little when Alex gave her an eye-roll. "Yeah, it's closed. We've handed everything to the DA's office."

"What did his lawyer say?"

"He wanted a deal but Casey told him to shove it." Olivia sipped her drink to wash down the food. "We searched his place. The son of bitch had a huge collection of souvenirs from his 'adventures'." Olivia drew air quotes with her fingers and shivered in disgust. "You have no idea the enormous amount of paper work we had to go through."

"I know. You canceled three times on me in the past weeks."

"Sorry about that." Olivia smiled sheepishly. "But things got hectic. Everyday we had angry parents showing up at the precinct, some even threatening to form a lynch mob. We had to transfer the bastard to a classified location."

"I'm totally against vigilantism," Alex said. "But I have to admit, if I knew he had molested my child I'd kill him."

"He never touched Angie." Olivia replied firmly.

"I know. She told me she saw him touching Jimmy's pee-pee and that made him cry. That's why she and her friends decided to tell the principal."

Olivia nodded at the accuracy of the facts Angie had relayed in her deposition. "She's going to be a nice addition to the justice department."

"Do you think she'll be a prosecutor or a cop?"

"The best prosecutor in the state, just like I imagine her mommy was." Olivia smiled but soon frowned at the blonde's sullen expression.

"That's ancient history." Alex's face was enveloped in sadness as she raised her glass and sipped it.

"Are you ok?" Olivia asked concerned.

Alex bit the inside of her cheek with a pensive look. "Sometimes I wonder where I'd be today if I hadn't given up my career."

Olivia nodded not really knowing how to respond. "I heard Serena's been talking to the best divorce lawyer in the country."

Alex smiled as she put her glass back down on the table. "Serena's been talking to a lot of divorce lawyers. She's very determined to get me out of that pre-nup."

Olivia's brow's furrowed. "Why is she so insistent?"

"She hates Robert's guts with all her might." Alex shrugged as she speared a piece of tomato and lifted it to her mouth.

"Why's that?"

Releasing a long breath, Alex put her fork down, leaned back in her chair and locked her gaze with Olivia's. "Angie was about a year and a half, Serena and I had taken her to the park but, as I wasn't feeling very well, I decided to go back home." Alex closed her eyes and hesitated. And when she looked at Olivia again she had unshed tears polling in her blue orbs. "I was pregnant with my second child—"

"A second child?" Olivia interrupted surprised and Alex simply nodded in confirmation not trusting her voice. "What happened?"

Alex continued. Her voice choked with emotion. "When I got home, I found Robert pacing the living room like a caged animal."

"_Robert?"_

"_What the fuck is this, Alex?" __a red faced Robert marched up in her direction waving around__ a piece of paper. "What the fuck is this?" He repeated getting right in her face._

_Ale__x blinked and took a step back.__ "I have no idea." She said coldly. "Why don't you tell me?"_

"_Tell you? Ok." He straightened the paper so he could read what was there. "Let's see: 'Dear Alex, it took a lot of courage for me to write you, but when I found out that you were married, I had no choice'…"_

_As realization dawned, Alex could feel her heartbeat increase. "Robert—"_

_He ignored her and continued reading. __"I can't believe you're married and to a man nonetheless."_

_Immediately flashes of her former lover popped in Alex mind. Carmen was__ a Puerto Rican brunette, with a curvaceous body and well defined waistline. Alex felt her legs quivering hearing the words of the first woman to hold her heart. "Robert, where did you find that?"_

_He sneered. __"Why don't we skip to the juicy parts? Oh, here: '…the truth is, I can't forget the way your skin feels against mine, or the softness of your lips kissing my body. I could never forget the velvet of your tongue on my clit making me come'…" He threw the letter at her in disgust. "Jesus Christ Alex, you're a fucking dyke."_

_Alex stared into her husband's enraged eyes. __"You had no right to go through my things—"_

"_No right? Heavens, you're not even going to deny it, are you?"_

"_Deny what? That I had a life before I was forced into this marriage?" Alex snapped, feeling her body shake with anger._

"_So it's true, you're a lesbian." Robert stated between rage and shock._

_Alex crossed her arms over her chest and stretched until she was at her full height.__ "Yes, Robert. I like women. I prefer women. I'm a lesbian, a dyke, a homo, whatever you want to call it. The truth is that any woman can give me degrees of satisfactions you couldn't ever dream to achieve."_

_T__he force of the blow caused Alex to stumble backwards._

"He hit you?" Olivia's eyes blazed with fury.

Alex nodded. "Slapped me across the face," Alex unconsciously caressed her left cheek as if reliving the stinging sensation.

"Alex—" Olivia swallowed the angry bile that made its way up her throat. How dare that bastard hit Alex? He'd better pray they never faced off again or she swore to God she would beat the crap out of him.

Lowering her gaze, Alex continued avoiding the tumultuous pair of eyes that was boring into her soul. "The blow was so hard that it whirled me around making me slam belly first against an end table." Alex blinked away tears that were threatening to spill. "I must've been under a huge shot of adrenaline, because I totally ignored the excruciating pain I felt in my midsection and I grabbed a bottle of vodka that was nearby, smashed it against the edge of the table and pointed the broken end at him."

Olivia felt a mixture of anger and pride at Alex's courage. "What did he do?"

"He called my bluff and tried to advance."

"Big mistake." Olivia shook her head.

Alex took a long encouraging breath and continued. "I thrust the bottle at him but, fortunately for him, he was fast enough to use his arm to shield his throat against it."

"What happened then?" Olivia asked genuinely concerned.

"I don't know exactly, because when I saw him bleeding on the carpet my vision started to blur." Alex stopped to collect her thoughts. "I remember him yelling that I had tried to kill him. And I remember the sound of the front door slamming, and then everything faded to black." Alex sipped her drink to appease her itching throat. "When I came back to my senses, Serena was standing next to me and I was been rushed into an emergency room."

Olivia immediately knew the outcome. "You lost the baby."

Alex nodded swallowing back the lump in her throat. "The worst part of it was Robert's mother marching into my hospital room, surrounded by lawyers and threatening me with jail time for attempting to murder her son."

"Are you kidding me?" Olivia's eyes bulged with incredulity.

"I wish." Alex snorted as she started playing with her napkin. "That woman is a wasp. She's always one step ahead of everybody with her Machiavellian ways. And she has power. Her family comes from a long line of judges and politicians." She locked her eyes with Olivia's. "She has influence."

"Oh my God, Alex." Olivia shook her head in exasperation.

"I was so debilitated, so frail that I didn't have the strength to argue in my defense." She discreetly dried a tear that escaped from the corner of her eye. "But I vaguely remember some of her vultures physically restraining Serena when she launched at the bitch."

"Did they press charges?"

"No. Serena threatened them with a law suit for domestic violence and a press conference to throw all their shit onto the proverbial fan." Alex snorted. "There's nothing that she fears more them a public scandal. So we all pretended that nothing happened and things went back to the way they were." Alex took a moment as her jaw started trembling. "Except for the baby I lost."

Olivia's heart broke for Alex. "I'm so sorry to hear that."

"From that day on, Serena made it her personal mission to get me out this marriage."

"Can I ask you something?" Alex simply nodded, half expecting the question that was to come. "How could you continue to be married to this man?"

Taking a deep breath, Alex shoulders slumped. "After I lost the baby, I lost my will to fight. It was like I lost my fire." This time she didn't bother to stop the tears from streaming down her face.

"Nobody should live that way."

"I know, but it's like…it's like a bird. If you trap a bird for so long in a cage, it will forget what it feels like to be free." Alex sighed despondently. "That's how I felt until…"

"Until?"

Alex stared silently at the detective and she could feel frustration building inside, a frustration at the impossibility of the situation. Alex had tried to keep Olivia away from her intimate thoughts because the detective was a solid threat to her equilibrium, but Alex's heart betrayed her and opened up to Olivia. So she braved.

"Until I met you. Olivia, I'd forgotten what it felt to have your heart speed up when someone smiled at you or how it was to feel like a love struck teenager every time the phone rings." Alex smiled sheepishly. Even though their relationship wasn't physical, there's no way to deny the element of romance that hung between them. "But then, you swaggered into my life and now all I want to do is to spread my wings and fly again." Alex sighed and wiped her face angrily with the back of her hand. "I can't stand it when Robert tries to touch me." Alex's voice choked with emotion.

Olivia looked confused and then she felt her chest tightened with emotion. She felt her body react in an elemental way, her heart swelled with joy after hearing Alex's declaration. Olivia knew it was irrational, she knew the implications, but she also knew she was falling for Alexandra Cabot and she definitely knew it would change her life forever.

"Alex—"

Misunderstanding Olivia's hesitation, Alex instantly regretted pouring her heart out to the brunette detective. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean—" Hastily she shoved the napkin on the table and tried to stand up only to have Olivia's firm grasp keep her in place.

"Stop it. Please don't apologize." The detective's firm tone startled and silenced the blond. "Alex, I'm the one who's sorry. I never meant to harm you or to make you feel bad." Olivia offered honestly. Then, feeling her own heart threatening to leave her chest, she uttered. "I think we should stop seeing each other."

"No." Alex shrilled in mild panic but immediately switched to a more controlled tone. "I tried avoiding you after we met, but it hurt too much." The thought of losing the woman who was quickly conquering her heart, terrified her. "I don't know what to do." In a bold gesture, she reached out and took Olivia's hand in hers.

Without breaking their linked hands, Olivia stood, moved to Alex's side of the booth, and wrapped her arms around the distressed woman. "It'll be ok sweetie. We'll be alright." Alex closed her eyes and snuggled into the crook of Olivia's neck. She felt the brunette plant a kiss on her temple and tightened her hold on Olivia's waist.

Olivia sighed at the wonderful feeling of Alex curled in her arms. "Alex?" She leaned her head on top of Alex's and then smirked.

"Yeah?"

"I don't swagger."

TBC…'


	6. Chapter 6

_**Hey,**_

_**Thanks for the all the reviews. I loved them all!**_

_**Again, thanks **_**PRAI**_**, you're the best.**_

_**Enjoy,**_

_**WA**_

Part 6

The Cabot family manor was always Alex favorite place to celebrate her birthday as a child, and it seemed Angie had developed the same fondness for her grandma's house. The place was churning with activity as a super-hero costumed group of five-year-olds blustered around the place. Alex stood at the door entrance to one of the rooms with a camera in her hands and a huge grin across her face. Inside the room laughter echoed all around as Angie and her friends tried to overpower Olivia, pretending to be the mini- heroes' arch enemy.

"She's good with kids." Serena said joining Alex at the doorframe.

"She's good with a lot of things." Alex continued filming while waiting for Serena's smartass comeback. When it didn't come she lifted an intrigued eyebrow at her friend.

"What?" Serena asked in mock innocence.

Shutting off the camera, Alex turned to fully face her friend. "This is the part where you say that I should stand up and fight to get out of this marriage and bla bla bla, you know, what you usually say."

"I have nothing to add." Serena shrugged nonchalantly and sipped her soft drink. "You already know what you're missing." She nodded to the room where Angie and her friends were now teaching Olivia the steps to the Hokie Pokie.

Looking at them, Alex felt her heart swell as she admired the object of her affection. She noticed how the detective looked particularly beautiful with her knee length black leather coat, black pants, v-neck red shirt and boots.

"That woman is a knockout." Serena whispered teasingly in Alex's ear. "Do you think if she goes into a bar she'll ever leave alone?"

Alex bit the inside of her cheek as a sudden feeling of possession washed over her. "No."

"Alexandra?"

The commanding voice of Alex's mother-in-law, snapped her out of her reverie. "Mrs. Altman."

Without acknowledging Serena's presence, the gray-haired woman stood haughtily at Alex's side. "Do you think that's wise?"

"What's wise?" Alex looked at Serena who shrugged.

"Bringing that detective to your daughter's birthday party?"

Taking a deep calming breath, Alex turned around to face the obnoxious woman. "What's the problem with that?"

"She was responsible for investigating a very traumatic case that affected some of those children." She narrowed her eyes keenly observing Olivia. "Don't you think her presence alone could bring back memories that are better forgotten?"

"Take a good look there, Mrs. Altman." Alex pointed inside the room. "Do they look like traumatized kids to you?"

"Well, no they don't." She shook her head disdainfully. "However children aren't always aware of the danger that surrounds them." Turning around she challenged Alex with a glare. "What if one of them gets a hold of her gun?"

Alex closed her eyes and counted to ten inwardly. "Detective Benson would never be irresponsible enough to leave her gun unattended." She stated firmly returning the other woman's glare.

"Yes, but—"

"Besides, she's not carrying her gun today." Alex cut off her tirade. "She's off duty, because she, contrary to your son, knew how important her presence would be to Angie, and switched with one of her colleagues so she could be here today."

"I'm sure Robert had an excellent reason to miss the party." Mrs. Altman lifted her chin arrogantly. "He adores his child."

Alex scoffed. "Yes we can tell."

Mrs. Altman opened her mouth to reply, but the ringing of her cell phone prevented any further comment. Excusing herself she left Alex and Serena alone again.

"Maybe you should send her in to play with the kids." Serena teased and received a confused look from Alex. "The super-heroes would love to defeat the evil witch."

Alex chuckled, lifted the camera and walked in to film the fun of the children. Serena moved around the house until she was intercepted by a gentle but firm hand on her arm.

"What happened?" Mrs. Cabot questioned nodding toward where Serena had come from.

"A bitch being a bitch." Serena joked but grew serious after meeting the blonde's reprimanding glare. "She was complaining about Olivia's presence."

"What's going on between Alex and Detective Benson?"

Nearly choking on her drink, Serena met a pair of very wise blue eyes. "You don't beat around the bush, do you?"

"I've known you and Alexandra your whole life." She smiled knowingly. "I know when you're up to something."

"I plead the fifth." Serena ducked her head felling like a teenager being scolded by her parent.

Shaking her head the older blonde softened. "Serena,"

"Look Camille, Olivia might be the last chance for Alex to be happy." Serena turned and discreetly pointed to Alex playing with Olivia and the kids. "That's only if she has the guts to fight for _that_."

Nodding silently, Camille studied her daughter for a few seconds before turning back to Serena. "I haven't seen her smile like that since Angie was born."

Both women watched as Alex argued with her daughter over, what seemed to be, Olivia's attention. Alex walked out victoriously and led the detective to the kitchen providing a little break from her mini-fans.

As they entered the kitchen, Alex walked straight to the fridge, opened it and turned back to the detective. "Here, drink this." She handed Olivia a bottle of Gatorade. "You'll need to restore your energy."

"Thanks," Olivia removed the cap, took a big gulp and smiled. "Jesus, I thought I was well fit, but to keep up with that horde, you need to be an iron man."

Alex chuckled and started placing a couple of boxes on the counter. "Especially when you're not that young anymore."

"Is that a dig at my age?" Olivia raised a questioning eyebrow.

Alex snickered. "Not at all." She opened one of the boxes, retrieved a cupcake and offered it to the brunette.

Chocolate brown eyes sparkled as her mouth watered. "Red Velvet from Magnolia?" Olivia accepted the treat and smiled. "That's my favorite."

"I know." Alex whispered shyly then laughed out loud as Olivia took a reverent bite of the cupcake. "Goofy."

"What?" Olivia shrugged innocently.

Alex used her index finger to motion around the brunette's face. "You have frosting all over your face."

"I do?" Olivia crossed her eyes trying to see her own nose.

Shaking her head at the irresistible detective, Alex reached out to wipe icing from the tip of Olivia's nose. In an automatic gesture the blonde moved her finger to her own mouth and licked it off her finger.

The innocent gesture felt like a blow to Olivia's stomach. Her eyes widened at the sensual display and she swallowed feeling her heart racing and almost dropped the rest of the cupcake.

As if sensing the heat emanating from the detective, Alex looked up and locked their gazes. Driven by an invisible force, she lifted her hand and cleaned more cream out of the corner of Olivia's mouth allowing her fingers to linger there.

Olivia sucked in a long breath as Alex's thumb stroked the skin along her jaw. Not able to stop herself, Olivia took Alex's hand and pressed it against her cheek, enjoying the warmth and softness of the blonde's touch.

Neither woman was able to resist the pull as their faces moved closer together in sync until they started breathing the same air. Closing her eyes, Alex's breath became labored as she tilted her head and waited for Olivia to close the final gap.

Olivia's mind had gone totally blank and she just reacted as her arm snaked its way around Alex's waist crushing their bodies together. Without a second thought she pushed forward to meet Alex's waiting lips.

"Mommy."

Angie's sing song voice echoed through the kitchen before she physically appeared. Startled, both women jumped apart and moved to opposite corners of the counter in an attempt to calm their racing hearts.

"Mommy, can we have the cake now?"

Alex managed a nervous smile and nodded at her daughter. "Sure you can honey." Alex swallowed and moved to the counter strategically avoiding eye contact with Olivia. "Here, help mommy carry this outside."

Angie balanced the box in her hands and looked at Olivia. "Come on detective Liv, it's time to sing happy birthday to me."

Olivia closed her eyes and took a long breath to calm the heart that still pounded in her chest. She couldn't believe what just almost happened. Lifting her head she looked at Alex and felt her stomach somersault under the blonde's intense gaze. Looking down she was met by Angie's eager grin. Running a hand through her short hair, she returned the little girl's smile. "Sure honey, lead the way."

Alex grabbed the cake and started walking with Angie by her side. Olivia smoothed out her leather jacket and followed the two blondes out of the kitchen.

**AOAOAOAOAOA**

Pushing her arms inside the sleeves of her jacket, Serena observed with open admiration as Camille Cabot came down the stairs. The elegant blonde possessed the perfect mixture of charm, finesse, and elegance. When she walked in a room it always seemed like she's owned the place.

"Is she asleep?" Serena smiled and gestured toward Angie's room upstairs.

"Out like a light." Camille sighed and returned the smile.

"The party drained all her energy." Serena dumped the remains of the plastic plates in the trash can. "She'll probably sleep for a week."

"I wouldn't hold my breath on that one." Camille chuckled and looked around the house. "Where's Alex?"

"Outside." Serena moved to the mirror to comb her hair and reapply her lipstick. "I think she needed to be alone."

With a concerned frown, the elder Cabot looked through the glass door to see her daughter sitting by the pool deep in thought. "She hasn't done that since she was little."

"Maybe she needs her mommy, right now." Serena winked knowingly. "I, on the other hand, have a hot date tonight." She put the final touches on her makeup before walking to the front door and with her hand on the handle she threw over her shoulder. "Take care of our girl."

As soon as Serena left, Camille walked to join Alex outside. Making sure not to startle her daughter she grabbed a chair and sat beside the younger blonde.

"Want to share what's on your mind?" She offered gently.

"I'm not sure you want to hear it." Alex blinked to avoid the tears forming behind her eyes.

Nodding knowingly, Camille decided to approach carefully. "Angie seemed disappointed when detective Benson left the party."

"Olivia got called in."

"I thought it was her day off."

Alex raised an intrigued eyebrow at her mother's sudden interest in Olivia's working schedule. "She was but something came up with one of her cases."

Nodding, Camille tried to sound nonchalant. "You two seem pretty close."

Knowing her mother pretty well, Alex suggested with a smirk. "Why don't you cut to the chase mother?"

"Are you two involved?" Camille finally asked bluntly.

"No." Alex replied without hesitation.

"Do you love her?"

Taking a minute to contemplate her answer, Alex chose a non-committal reply. "It doesn't matter."

"I'll take that as a yes." Camille nodded not buying her daughter's strategic choice of words. "What are you going to do about it?"

"There's nothing I can do mother." Alex took her glasses off and rubbed her face exasperatedly.

"Why?"

Looking as if her mother had grown a second head Alex answered slowly. "Because I'm stuck in a loveless marriage, or do you forget I have a husband?"

Rolling her eyes at her daughter's antics Camille continued. "Of course I remember. That's not the point."

"Wh—"

"What are you waiting for to confront your husband?" She cut Alex off.

"And tell him what? That I love someone else or that I want to have an affair?"

Contrasting Alex's escalating tone, Camille continued in a calm voice. "Why don't you ask for a divorce?"

Taking the hint, Alex replied in a much softer tone. "Because the minute I do I'll lose Angie."

"Alex, something tells me Robert is as much stuck in this marriage as you are. But he fears his mother too much to do anything about it." Releasing a long breath, Camille looked into her daughter's eyes. "Maybe it's time for the two of you to stop fighting and join forces."

"What makes you think he'll accept an agreement? Or worse, do you really think the wicked witch will allow a divorce in the family." Alex asked skeptically.

"She already gained what she wanted from this marriage: prestige." Camille concluded. "She wanted to be accepted into the high society, and she achieved that by using the Cabot family name."

Alex sighed and ran a nervous hand through her blonde locks. "This is so fucked up."

"No need to use that kind of language." Camille scolded.

"Sorry."

Watching her daughter's dejected pose, Camille felt a pang in her heart. "This is all my fault." She shook her head. "I should have stopped your father."

"You wouldn't have been able to." Alex laughed bitterly and slumped back in her seat. "The man was gifted. He could argue his way into or out of anything."

Eyeing her daughter knowingly, Camille smiled. "That's true."

"Of course it is," Alex winked breaking the tension. "Who do you think I got my argumentative nature from?"

They shared a quiet laugh and fell silent for a moment before Camille spoke again.

"I think she's worth it." She stated receiving a questioning eyebrow. "Detective Benson," She explained. "The more time you spend with her, the more I see the old Alexandra Cabot."

"The old Alexandra?"

Nodding she continued. "Yes, the one that from the age of seven already knew that she wanted to be a prosecutor and arrest bad guys." They laughed again. "During the last few years, I've watched you withering like a sad flower Alex, but now you're blossoming again and I think Olivia is a big part of that." Standing up, she walked over to Alex, bent down and planted a soft kiss on her daughter's head. "I think she's worthy fighting for." Camille gave Alex's shoulder a comforting squeeze before walking back to house and leaving Alex alone to mull over what had just been said.

TBC…

**Don't forget to f****eed the bard…**


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